First Thursday, September 3rd – The Meeting Place Wymington

“Christian Nationalism” is a movement that is strong in the USA, asserting that the US has been a Christian country from the Founding Fathers, and must remain so. “Multi-culturalism” and “foreign” religions (especially Islam) therefore have no place, and undermine its culture, just as, it is claimed, “mass immigration” does in Europe. In the UK examples of the same trend exist, both within and outside the churches, but as yet less strongly, ranging from extremes which appear merely to use Christian language to promote anti-immigrant (and especially anti-Muslim) propaganda, (see note 1), to more moderate voices. Helen Paynter, a Baptist minister and tutor at Bristol Baptist College, has analysed the “Far Right” and its “theology” (note 2), while “Theos”, the UK “public theology think-tank” has embarked on a two-year study of the phenomenon throughout Europe (note 3).

Can a country and its culture be “Christian”, or is that something only possible for the personal faith of individuals? Thomas Helwys, who led the first English Baptist Church at Spitalfields in London, wrote in “The Mistery of Iniquity”: “The King is a mortal man, and not God, therefore he hath no power over the immortal souls of his subjects to make laws and ordinances for them…. Let them be heretics, Turks, Jews, or whatsoever, it appertains not to the earthly power to punish them in the least measure.” He sent this to James I, and was imprisoned in Newgate Gaol, where he died in 1616- note 4). Others, however, argue that although such freedoms must be respected, society needs a strong moral base. So Christianity must make a real contribution to that, even if legal provisions are not involved (note 5).

We read Isaiah chapter 42, one of the “Servant Songs” from the time of Israel’s exile in Babylon (597/587 to 537 BCE). These were incorporated into the Book of Isaiah (perhaps a “school of prophecy” stretching over two and a half centuries- see note 6). In other Hebrew Scriptures the “Messiah” is the people’s own mighty king-warrior, who delivers God’s people by military power. The Songs say that this role of “Messiah” is played not by an Israelite king, but by Cyrus, the Persian ruler who defeats Babylon and liberates the Israelite exiles. In contrast, the task of Israel is to be a community which works to establish justice in the world, suffering the conflict and vilification inevitable when the “powers” find their authority thus challenged. It is this role that Jesus chooses, with all its predicted consequences.

This conflict about the role and responsibility of Israel reached a climax for Jesus in the final days of his ministry. It continues today with the present Israeli Likud government, especially since the October 7^th 2023 Hamas attack. In his recent prosecution, accused of “promoting support for Hamas”, Tony Greenstein dismissed his defence counsel and presented his own final statement (note 7) because in an earlier case the defence lawyer had been referred to a High Court judge for possible contempt of court, for presenting arguments the judge deemed inadmissible.

Such questions of identity and “self-image” face all nations. If Britain wishes to be a “Christian” nation, with a Christian culture, what might that mean? It must surely involve taking seriously the teachings of Jesus, such as the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chapters 5 to 7), with its call to “turn the other cheek”. What government would dare to frame its foreign policy on that basis? But international politics might be more hopeful if steps were taken, however small, in that direction.

Notes:

And also: The Myth of the Empty Church by Gill, Robin (1993) | WeBuyBooks